Wimbledon: Laura Robson makes British tennis breakthrough

Robson first homegrown women’s player in Wimbledon fourth round since 1998.

Britain's Laura Robson leans into a return during Saturday's third-round win at Wimbledon.

By:Howard FendrichThe Associated Press, Published on Sat Jun 29 2013

LONDON—Still only 19, Laura Robson is busy accumulating a list of accomplishments that include the words “first British woman since.”

At last year’s U.S. Open, she became the first British woman since 1991 to reach the fourth round there. Thanks to a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 comeback victory Saturday over Marina Erakovic, a match that included a crucial overturned call, Robson is now the first British woman since 1998 to make it that far at Wimbledon.

And she’s also assured of becoming the first since 1987 — more than a quarter-century ago — to climb into the top 30 in the WTA rankings.

Robson, a lefty with a fairly big serve who beat Kim Clijsters in the final match of the four-time major champion’s career, is nonplussed by it all.

“I didn’t even know about it until you (told) me,” Robson said when asked about the significance of some of her milestones. “I just focus on, you know, playing my match, things like that. Things that actually matter.”

And she noted: “I don’t go into the match thinking, ‘If I win this, I’m going to be top-30.’ ”

Needless to say, the attention paid by the locals is increasing: Photos of Robson were all over the front pages of Saturday’s newspapers, and she was thrilled with the vocal support she heard on Court 2 against Erakovic. The spectators got so loud that their roars could be heard across the grounds at Centre Court.

“I don’t think they had much to support in the first set,” Robson joked, “but they were amazing. I thought they helped a lot.”

That sort of focus and backing only will increase in a place desperate for tennis success. The last British woman to win Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in 1977. That’s nothing, of course, compared to the wait since 1936 for a male champion at the All England Club, but it’s enough to get everyone around here rather excited about Robson.

“It’s good to do well, especially at Wimbledon,” said Robson, ranked 38th. “But I’m going to be playing for, like, another 10 years, so it’s all bonuses for now.”

Playing for a second day in a row, Robson did not start well.

Not at all.

“I was getting my butt kicked, basically,” Robson said. “I was really struggling to return her serve. She was playing really well. So I just thought: Just going to try as best as I can, work as hard as possible and just stick with it until she starts to get nervous — which is what happened.”

After Wimbledon’s traditional day of rest on the middle Sunday, Robson will face 46th-ranked Kaia Kanepi on Monday — a four-time major quarter-finalist who beat 126th-ranked wild-card entry Alison Riske of the United States 6-2, 6-3.

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